Dan Daily wrote a great letter to the editor, but I think it will go over the heads of most people;
Strong mayoral government, aka home-rule, is oligarchy (rule by a few). The South Dakota Municipal League admits it. It becomes socialism when one (the mayor) realizes absolute power. It’s unconstitutional because citizens are not represented.
Councilors are undemocratic dysfunctional puppets. They do not provide checks and balances.
This is true. We do elect the mayor and city councilors, but the city council should be our ‘checks and balances’ over the mayor (kind of like congress) as of right now, they really have no control. Once the council approves anything, the mayor has the power to change it or rewrite it. Munson has done this several times.
Several of the Sioux Falls City Council members are influenced through political donations and side income. It’s obvious via the “usual bid process” (city finance term).
Don’t take mine or Dan’s word on it, just go to the city website and read the campaign financial reports.
Munson was busy with Phillips to Nowhere, 10 ball fields in Iowa and a swimming pool in a crack neighborhood. During good times, taxpayers paid for pet projects. Meanwhile, infrastructure suffered.
I do take offense to some of this. I live in that ‘crack neighborhood’ you are talking about. Hardly. Drake Springs was the most popular outdoor swimming pool in town this past summer. It was very wise for voters to approve the outdoor version. Like I have said several times, people opposed the project not just because they wanted outdoor swimming, but because it was the wrong location. I have often said a public indoor pool should be built at Lincoln HS in conjunction with the SF school district.
Meanwhile, infrastructure suffered.
Dan is right, infrastructure did suffer, a lot. We are over $100 million behind on road maintenance and after this winter, I’m sure that number will grow significantly.
The mayor has all the power and blame. If Mount Rushmore’s presidents were not carved in granite, they’d be looking around or over Sioux Falls toward democracy.
That line made me laugh 🙂